Madurai: With Pongal round the corner, a former private company
executive, who quit his job and settled in his native village in
Madurai, is offering oil cakes for jallikattu bull owners at 50%
discount from the market price.
Of late, many have started raising jallikattu bulls with the
intention of saving the indigenous bull breeds, after raising the
ban on the Tamil cultural sport following the state government’s
ordinance. However, raising a bull requires a lot of money to offer
nutritious fodder. It would burn a hole in the pockets of poor
people, who raise them merely out of passion. Apart from the prizes
and appreciation the bull receives at the events, there is no
material benefit out of it.

G Pandidurai, the former executive who started Ponni cold pressed
oil mill a couple of years ago, has come up to share their burden
by offering the oil cakes produced in their unit. A jallikattu bull
requires three to five kgs of oil cakes along with other nutritious
food during the preparation for jallikattu events. Many who could
not afford it go for cheap alternatives.

“There are many people raising jallikattu bulls around
Thanakkankulam, where my unit is functioning. Avaniapuram which is
going to host the first jallikattu event in Madurai this year is
also not far away from here. The bull owners are happy about the
offer,” Pandithurai said.

Groundnut oil cake, which is sold at Rs 50 per kg in the retail
market is given away for Rs 25 a kg. Similarly, coconut oil cake
and gingelly cake, which are sold at Rs 25 and Rs 30 per kg at the
retail market are offered at half the price.

Although he started the offer only 10 days ago, he managed to reach
out to around 10 bull owners in the surroundings through WhatsApp
and Facebook.